The MMA landscape is set to change once again when the UFC adds a second women’s weight class – the talent-rich 115-pound strawweight division – to its roster in 2014. UFC President Dana White announced the news on Dec. 11 and confirmed the division will launch during “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” which begins filming in May.

Unlike in past seasons of the long-running show in which winners earned trophies and six-figure contracts with the UFC, the “TUF 20” victor will be crowned the first UFC women’s strawweight champion. A total of 16 women will compete on the show, and 11 have already been named. All 11 fighters come to the UFC after having their contracts transferred from Invicta FC.

The star-studded lineup includes many of the top female fighters in the 115-pound weight class. Among them is Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza (9-2), who captured the title in January. Esparza has tasted defeat just once in her past seven fights and now looks to add another prestigious championship to her mantle.

Also confirmed for “TUF 20” is unbeaten Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Claudia Gadelha (11-0), who was scheduled to challenge for Esparza’s Invicta FC title earlier this month before an illness canceled the fight. Fast-rising star Tecia Torres (4-0) is seen by many as a potential “TUF 20″ finalist thanks to her three impressive victories this year. Highly touted Scottish striker Joanne Calderwood (8-0) will also compete on the show.

Notable exclusions from the roster include Japanese teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue (7-1), Finnish standout Katja Kankaanpaa (8-1-1) and St. Louis police officer Ashley Cummins (3-2). Inoue was offered a spot on the show, but title fight obligations in Japan and an obvious language barrier prompted her to decline the offer. She is expected to be a key factor in the Invicta FC title picture next year in light of Esparza’s departure.

With five spots remaining on the cast roster, tryouts will be held next year to determine the final 16-woman lineup. Filming for “TUF 20” begins in May, but a date for the show’s premiere episode has not yet been confirmed. In a unique move, the UFC has announced that all 11 fighters currently signed to the show will be paid not to fight prior to filming in an effort to limit injuries and last-minute changes. Invicta FC champion Esparza receives $40,000 to sit out while the remaining contestants each receive $32,000 apiece.

Invicta FC returned with its seventh all-female fight card on Dec. 7 at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City in Missouri. The event was originally set to feature a trio of title fights, but only two championship bouts proceeded as planned.

In the Invicta FC 7 main event, flyweight champion Barb Honchak (9-2) showed once again why she is the sport’s premier 125-pound female fighter by defeating popular challenger Leslie Smith (6-4-1) in an entertaining five-round battle. Honchak scored with a series of punching combinations in the early goings, but Smith thwarted her attempts to take the fight to the ground until late in the round. Honchak tried for a rear-naked choke and an arm-triangle choke before time expired.

Honchak once again controlled the action in Round 2 with quick strikes on the feet and a takedown into mount, but Smith rallied in Round 3 and threw a series of head kicks. Honchak secured a takedown late in the round, but Smith countered with an omoplata attempt and used it to sweep into top position.

From that point forward, the champion regained her momentum and put together combinations of punches and kicks that kept Smith guessing. Honchak scored more takedowns in each of the final two rounds and landed some solid ground and pound just before the bell sounded to end the fight. All three judges scored the bout 49-46 for Honchak, who retained her title with the unanimous decision win. The bout was named “Fight of the Night,” and both fighters took home an extra $1,500 for their performances.

The Invicta FC 7 co-main event featured a much-anticipated bout between unbeaten rising star Lauren Murphy (8-0) and multi-time muay Thai world champion Miriam Nakamoto (2-1) for the inaugural Invicta FC bantamweight title. Although the bout ended in disappointing fashion, both fighters put on strong showings in what proved to be one of the better fights on the card.

Nakamoto punished Murphy with chopping leg kicks and stiff jabs in the opening round, and she followed with knees and slashing elbows to take an early lead on the scorecards. It was more of the same from Nakamoto early in Round 2, but Murphy began to find her range as the round progressed and landed some nice knees of her own in close.

Murphy worked for takedowns throughout the third round until she was finally able to get Nakamoto to the mat. Nakamoto twisted her knee on the way down and appeared to be in pain as Murphy closed out the round with punches from the top. The fight continued on, but Nakamoto’s knee gave out on her, and Murphy was awarded a title-winning TKO victory at the 23-second mark of Round 4.

Following the bout, new champion Murphy received considerable praise for her compassion and sportsmanship after Nakamoto collapsed as a result of her injury. Nakamoto has since undergone surgery on her knee and has started back on the road to recovery.

Invicta FC strawweight champion Carla Esparza was also set to defend her title on the Invicta FC 7 card, but her planned fight against Claudia Gadelha was canceled for the third time when Gadelha fell ill following the pre-fight weigh-ins. Gadelha was diagnosed with a bacterial infection and was pulled from the card on fewer than 24 hours’ notice. A disappointed Esparza watched from the sidelines as the event proceeded with two championship bouts.

Tecia Torres shines in victory at Invicta FC 7

At just 24 years of age, Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (4-0) is arguably the top female prospect in North America today. After going 7-0 as an amateur and winning three straight fights for Invicta FC – all in a span of fewer than 22 months – Torres faced her toughest test to date in veteran strawweight contender Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (9-5) at Invicta FC 7. Torres passed the test with flying colors en route to a dominant unanimous-decision victory.

From the outset, Torres was a step ahead of Herrig in the striking exchanges and repeatedly scored with flurries of punches and a variety of kicks. She continued to outstrike Herrig in Round 2 by mixing in front kicks and side kicks that kept Herrig on the defensive. In Round 3, Torres threw ax kicks early on and fought off Herrig’s takedown attempts. Torres eventually secured a takedown of her own, and the fighters battled back and forth on the ground. Herrig finished the round on top, but it wasn’t enough to steal back the fight.

All three judges scored the bout 30-27 for Torres, who will next compete on “TUF 20” in May. Following the fight, Esparza, Herrig’s best friend and part-time training partner, entered the cage to challenge Torres to a future fight. That bout will not take place inside the Invicta FC cage, but could play out during “TUF 20” next year.

Calderwood, Budd among winners in Invicta FC 7 feature bouts

Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood (8-0) stayed unbeaten with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpaa (8-1-1) in a featured strawweight bout at Invicta FC 7. The opening round was a cautious one as the fighters pawed with jabs. Kankaanpaa eventually secured a takedown, but Calderwood reversed into top position and landed ground and pound before the bell.

Kankaanpaa scored two takedowns in Round 2 and she threatened with a rear-naked choke and an arm-triangle choke on the ground. In Round 3, Calderwood appeared to hold a slight edge in the striking exchanges, but Kankaanpaa clinched and took her back against the cage. Calderwood broke free and secured a late takedown that likely sealed the round and the fight in her favor. All three judges scored the close fight 29-28 for Calderwood, who will next join Esparza, Torres and the remaining strawweights on the “TUF 20” roster.

Featherweight contender Julia Budd (6-2) posted her fourth straight victory by outpointing fellow Canadian Charmaine Tweet (4-4) in the lone 145-pound bout on the Invicta FC 7 card. Budd took Tweet down in all three rounds and controlled the action with punches, elbows and occasional keylock and armbar attempts. Tweet was active from her back, but she never came close to securing a submission, and Budd cruised to a unanimous-decision win with scores of 30-27 thrice.

Former Invicta FC flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto (16-6) got back on the winning track with a commanding unanimous-decision win over Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-4). Gurgel landed knees and some solid right hands early on, and she finished Round 1 with a vicious head kick. It was all Porto from that point forward, however, and the Brazilian repeatedly scored with one-two combinations. She took Gurgel down and landed ground and pound from the top en route to victory with scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice.

Tonya Evinger (12-6) overcame a late opponent change and picked up one of the biggest victories of her career in a bantamweight battle on the preliminary card. Evinger showcased her excellent boxing and wrestling skills and defeated Sarah D’Alelio (7-5) via a well-deserved unanimous decision. D’Alelio took an early lead on the scorecards by landing some hard punches and elbows on the ground in Round 1, but Evinger scored takedowns of her own in Round 2 and then rocked D’Alelio with a big right hook. Evinger seized control in Round 3 with another takedown and a prolonged rear-naked choke attempt. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for the local fighter, who has won four straight fights.

Opening up the card, flyweight prospect Nina Ansaroff (6-3) earned “Knockout of the Night” honors for her second-round stoppage of former Bellator fighter Munah Holland (5-3) in a catchweight bout. Ansaroff landed quick kicks and punches in Round 1, and she took Holland down late in the opening stanza. In Round 2, Ansaroff fought off an armbar attempt and floored Holland with a four-punch combination. Ansaroff rushed in with follow-up punches, and the bout was stopped at the 3:54 mark of the second round. Ansaroff pocketed an extra $1,000 for the KO win, and she’s now stopped five straight opponents.

Julie Kedzie retires from fighting, named new Invicta FC matchmaker

On Dec. 7, MMA veteran Julie Kedzie (16-13) competed for the final time when she dropped a narrow split decision to unbeaten Brazilian prospect Bethe “Pitbull” Correia (7-0) at “UFC Fight Night 33: Hunt vs. Bigfoot” in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. However, the newly retired fighter quickly found a new role as the matchmaker for Invicta FC.

In the fight itself, Kedzie and Correia battled back and forth on the feet throughout the first two rounds. Both women landed punching flurries and a variety of kicks. The bout was even on the scorecards after 10 minutes, but Correia pressured Kedzie with right hooks and body kicks early in Round 3. She took Kedzie down and remained the aggressor until the end of the round. One judge saw the close fight 29-28 for Kedzie while the remaining two had it 29-28 for Correia.

For Correia, who stepped into the fight on short notice, the victory solidified her position as one of MMA’s premier female bantamweights. Kedzie, however, was left in a difficult spot. Having dropped four straight fights – two via split decision and one submission loss in a bout she was winning – and likely on the verge of being cut from the UFC, Kedzie announced her retirement from active competition. This past week, she found a new job.

Since its inception in April 2012, Kedzie has provided color commentary and handled in-cage fighter interviews for Invicta FC. The promotion was recently left without a matchmaker when Janet Martin departed the company amidst allegations of financial improprieties and other damaging actions. On Dec. 16, just nine days after her final MMA fight, Kedzie was announced as the new Invicta FC matchmaker. Her expanded duties with the promotion begin in 2014.

Kedzie’s new role could prove to be a challenging one in light of the UFC’s recent acquisition of much of Invicta FC’s top female talent at 115 pounds (and 135 pounds this year). However, Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp has remained optimistic about her company’s future in 2014, and she and Kedzie intend to sign up a new wave of talent to develop into title contenders.

Julianna Pena becomes first female ‘TUF’ winner

The month of November concluded with a historic season finale to “The Ultimate Fighter 18: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate” on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas. For the first time in the show’s lengthy history, a female “TUF” winner was crowned in bantamweight Julianna Pena (5-2), who earned a six-figure contract with the UFC.

Throughout the season, Pena was portrayed as a social outcast amongst her fellow fighters, but she was undeterred by critics and advanced to the tournament final by defeating Gina Mazany, Shayna Baszler and Sarah Moras in succession. Her opponent, former boxing champion and perennial underdog Jessica Rakoczy (1-4), defeated Revelina Berto, Roxanne Modafferi and Raquel Pennington to earn her spot in the final.

Pena wasted no time in taking the fight to Rakoczy and scored a takedown very early in Round 1. Rakoczy got back to her feet, but Pena quickly tripped her to the mat again and passed to mount. She rained down punches and elbows until the one-sided fight was finally stopped at the 4:59 mark of the first round.

With the impressive TKO win, Pena ensured that she will be a part of the UFC roster for the foreseeable future. The 24-year-old has finished her opponents in all five of her pro wins.

Earlier on the TUF 18 Finale card, highly touted prospect Jessamyn Duke (3-0) earned her first UFC victory by defeating Peggy Morgan (2-1) in a battle between two of MMA’s tallest female fighters.

Duke dominated the opening 10 minutes with triangle-choke attempts and a barrage of strikes on the feet. A failed bulldog choke attempt from Duke led Morgan to take her back in the final round, but Duke escaped from the choke attempts and walked away with a unanimous-decision win. Scores were 30-27 across the board for Duke, who remains perfect as a pro.

Opening up the main card, Raquel Pennington (4-3) posted a close unanimous-decision win over veteran Roxanne Modafferi (15-11). Pennington started slowly, and Modafferi mixed up her strikes well in the opening round. In Round 2, Pennington was much more aggressive with her striking and fought off a Modafferi armbar attempt with ground and pound. The fighters traded power punches in Round 3, and Pennington took Modafferi down with a guillotine choke into mount. Modafferi narrowly held on until the bell, but Pennington took home the win with scores of 29-28 and 30-27 twice.

Larissa Moreira Pacheco stops Irene Aldana, wins Jungle Fight title

This past Saturday night, 19-year-old Larissa Moreira Pacheco (9-0) became the first Jungle Fight women’s bantamweight champion at Jungle Fight 63 in Belem, Para, Brazil. The well-rounded rising star captured the inaugural title by stopping Mexican knockout artist Irene Aldana (3-1) in Round 3 of one of the best female fights of 2013.

Both women landed hard body kicks, knees and punches early in the championship fight. Pacheco began to back up Aldana with her strikes, and she caught a kick late in the round. She tripped her opponent to the ground and worked for an armbar, but Aldana scrambled free. In Round 2, Aldana immediately pulled half-guard with a guillotine choke, and Pacheco countered by taking mount. The fighters scrambled on the ground, and Pacheco escaped an inverted triangle choke. She attempted a keylock and a guillotine, but Aldana took top position and scored with ground and pound. The fight briefly returned to the feet, and Pacheco tried for a late armbar.

As Round 3 began, Aldana’s right eye was noticeably swollen from the force of Pacheco’s punches. Pacheco forced her to backpedal by landing more punches early in the round. A right uppercut, followed by a one-two combination, badly staggered Aldana, and Pacheco dropped her to her knees with a final left hook. The referee intervened to stop the fight at the 1:50 mark of Round 3, giving Pacheco a big TKO victory.

All nine of Pacheco’s career wins have ended inside the distance, and she will likely move on to join the UFC women’s bantamweight roster in 2014.

Jessica Aguilar vs. Alida Gray title bout booked for WSOF 8

Top-ranked strawweight Jessica Aguilar (16-4) is set to begin the new year with a championship fight in her World Series of Fighting debut. Aguilar meets unbeaten prospect Alida Gray (4-0) at “WSOF 8: Gaethje vs. Gonzalez” on Jan. 18 in Hollywood, Fla.

Aguilar has won seven straight fights, but each of her past three bouts has ended in controversial fashion. In May 2012, Aguilar narrowly outpointed MMA legend Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii at Bellator 69. Ten months later, she posted a split-decision victory over “Little” Patricia Vidonic at Bellator 94 in a bout that was almost universally scored in Vidonic’s favor by onlookers. Aguilar’s most recent fight, a rematch with Fujii at Vale Tudo Japan 3rd on Oct. 5, also ended in disappointing fashion when Fujii was unable to continue as a result of injuries sustained from two accidental eye-pokes.

As the women’s strawweight division continues to explode in popularity, due in part to the UFC’s recent addition of the weight class, Aguilar looks to prove that she is still MMA’s premier female fighter at 115 pounds when she steps into the WSOF cage for the first time.

Aguilar’s opponent, Gray, has quietly made a name for herself with four stoppage wins this year. In her pro debut in June, Gray captured the Sugar Creek Showdown women’s strawweight title by submitting Vidonic in the second round of their championship fight. The loss marked the first time that Vidonic had ever been finished in her career. Gray has since gone on to score three more wins, including a highlight-reel KO of Soannia Tiem in October. She most recently retained her SCS title with a second-round TKO win this past month.

WSOF 8 takes place on Jan. 18 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The Aguilar-Gray title fight will be a part of the featured main card.

Rousey vs. Tate grudge rematch set for Saturday at UFC 168

On Saturday night, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (7-0) and bitter rival Miesha Tate (13-4) face off for a second time at “UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva II” in Las Vegas. The much-anticipated grudge rematch will be contested for Rousey’s UFC title and comes on the heels of “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” on which the fighters served as opposing coaches after Rousey’s original adversary, “Alpha” Cat Zingano, withdrew due to a knee injury.

Rousey and Tate first faced off in March 2012 for Tate’s Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title. The fighters battled back and forth on the ground, and Tate far surpassed the expectations of some pundits who predicted that she would be submitted inside of the first minute. However, Rousey eventually locked on a vicious armbar that forced Tate to submit at the 4:27 mark of Round 1.

Although never friends, Rousey and Tate became more cordial with one another following the initial fight, but things changed when Tate showed up unannounced at the beginning of filming for “TUF 18” earlier this year. Over the course of the season, Tate continued to push Rousey’s buttons in an effort to get the champion off of her game. Rousey became more and more upset with Tate and vowed to break her arm for a second time in the rematch.

With title contenders lining up in hopes of facing the Rousey-Tate winner, their rematch is one of the UFC’s most important fights of the year. A win for Rousey solidifies her spot as the top female fighter in MMA today, but a loss would put an end to her meteoric rise in the sport for the time being. For Tate, a victory would both confirm that she’s still one of the best 135-pound female fighters in the world and also exact revenge against her most heated rival. A loss, however, would likely remove Tate from the title picture.

UFC 168 takes place on Dec. 28 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Rousey-Tate rematch serves as the co-main event on the PPV main card.

Quick results

Elizabeth Phillips (2-1) def. Kristin Stenzel (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 49-second mark of Round 1 at Conquest of the Cage 14 on Nov. 20 in Airway Heights, Wash. Stenzel stepped into the fight on very short notice in place of Phillips’ original opponent, Priscilla White. Phillips has earned finishes in both of her wins this year.

On the same Oplot Challenge 89 card, Anastasia Zayac (1-1) def. Oksana Shuvalova (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 3:06 mark of Round 2. Zayac also earned her first pro win in the fight after dropping her debut in November 2012.

Carolina Karasek (2-0) def. Betina Baino (0-1) via submission (armbar) at the 2:11 mark of Round 1 at Mega Fight 8.0 on Nov. 23 in Bento Goncalves, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Karasek has finished both of her opponents since making her pro debut in October.

On the same MMA Super Heroes 2 card, Kalindra Faria (12-3-1) def. Hellen Bastos (1-1) via TKO (knee and punches) at the 4:13 mark of Round 2. As the fighters scrambled up from the ground, Faria landed a vicious knee that hurt Bastos, and she finished her off with punches for the main event victory. The win earned Faria the inaugural MMA Super Heroes women’s flyweight title.

Rounding out the female portion of the Talent MMA Circuit 5 card, Vanessa Melo (2-2) def. Suelen Pereira (1-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 3:37 mark of Round 1. Melo got back on track with the win following a loss to Julianna Werner in July.

Alida Gray (4-0) def. Katie Klimansky-Casimir (1-2) via TKO (punches) at the 2:15 mark of Round 2 at “Sugar Creek Showdown 20: Vinte” on Nov. 23 in Hinton, Okla. Gray successfully retained her SCS women’s strawweight title with the impressive stoppage victory. She has finished all four of her opponents this year and next meets Jessica Aguilar at WSOF 8 in January.

On the same Sugar Creek Showdown 20 card, Latoya Walker (2-0) def. Gabrielle “Gabanator” Holloway (3-1) via unanimous decision after five rounds. Walker was competing for the first time in more than two years. The win earned her the SCS women’s featherweight title.

Amber “The Apex Predator” Stautzenberger (4-1) def. Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman (9-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at Xtreme Knockout 20 on Nov. 23 in Arlington, Texas. Stautzenberger controlled the fight with knees on the feet and elbows from side control on the ground en route to her biggest win to date. She is one of the strawweight division’s fastest rising prospects, and she returns to action in January.

On the same Xtreme Knockout 20 card, Sabrina Garcia (2-0) def. Alice Smith Yauger (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Garcia has won both of her pro fights for XKO this year and spoiled the MMA debut of former pro boxer Yauger.

Shizuka Sugiyama (10-3-1) and Ji Yun Kim (0-0-1) fought to a majority draw (20-19, 19-19, 19-19) at “Deep: Cage Impact 2013” on Nov. 24 in Tokyo. The popular Sugiyama got off to a strong start in the fight, but she began to tire in Round 2 and Kim took advantage by stealing back the round to earn a draw on the scorecards.

Luly “La Vampiresa” Silva (1-1) def. Gloria Bravo (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 3:14 mark of Round 1 at Cage MMA Night League on Nov. 29 in Maipu, Mendoza, Argentina. Silva earned her first pro win in the fight after dropping her debut in August.

Priscila de Souza (2-0) def. Cristina Mejia (1-2) via submission (armbar) at the 4:20 mark of Round 1 at Peru Fighting Championship 15 on Nov. 29 in Pueblo Libre, Lima, Peru. De Souza has submitted both of her professional opponents with armbars this year.

Carina “Barbie” Damm (21-10) def. Daiane “Dai Fox” Firmino (1-1) via unanimous decision at Standout Fighting Tournament 2 on Nov. 29 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Competing for the second time in six days, Damm picked up the win over another much less experienced opponent.

Christina “Ratatat” Tatnell (3-1) def. Amy “Ace” Adam (1-3) via KO (knee) at the 1:15 mark of Round 1 at “Valor Fight 6: Validation” on Nov. 30 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Tatnell has won all three of her fights this year since losing to Bec Hyatt in October 2012.

On the same Haidar Capixaba Combat 14 card, Emanuela “Manu” Silva Ferreira (1-0) def. Valeria da Silva (1-1) via unanimous decision. Ferreira was competing just four days after her 18th birthday and picked up her first MMA victory.

Debora Ferreira (1-0) def. Fernanda “Nanda” Gadea (1-1) via TKO (punches) at the 2:13 mark of Round 1 at “Duelo de Titans: Gladiadores do MMA” on Dec. 7 in Constantina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Ferreira picked up her first win as a pro in the brief fight.

Amy “The Resurrection” Cadwell (3-0) def. Jessica “Black” Doerner (5-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 4:51 mark of Round 1 at CageSport 28 on Dec. 7 in Tacoma, Wash. After a lengthy amateur career, Cadwell has amassed three straight wins this year against formidable opposition, and she is now one of the flyweight division’s newest rising stars.

Silvana “La Malvada” Gomez Juarez (2-0) def. Susana Diaz (0-1) via KO (punch) at the 3:15 mark of Round 1 at Knock Out Club Productions 12 on Dec. 13 in Salta, Argentina. Gomez Juarez has finished both of her professional opponents via a form of knockout.

Lily Kazak (1-2-1) def. Lena “Hunter” Ovchynnikova (9-3) via TKO (punch) at the 21-second mark of Round 2 at Oplot Challenge 92 on Dec. 14 in Kharkov, Ukraine. Following a competitive first round, Kazak dropped Ovchynnikova with a looping right hook early in Round 2, and the referee quickly intervened to stop the fight.

Liana “Li” Ferreira Pirosin (1-0) def. Helaine Ribeiro (0-2) via TKO (shoulder injury) at the 2:06 mark of Round 1 at Armagedom MMA Fight on Dec. 14 in Colombo, Parana, Brazil. Pirosin landed a head kick and a flurry of punches that forced Ribeiro to retreat to the cage in pain, and the referee intervened to stop the fight due to an injury to Ribeiro’s left shoulder.

Aline Serio (6-4) def. Tamara “Buh” Ferreira de Sousa (0-2) via KO (punches) at the 3:29 mark of Round 1 at Gringo Super Fight 8 on Dec. 15 in Rio de Janeiro. Serio swarmed on de Sousa with a barrage of punches against the cage until the 20-year-old collapsed to the mat.

Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko (2-1) def. Priscila Orellana (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 50-second mark of Round 1 at Fusion Fighting Championship 5 on Dec. 18 in Lima, Peru. Shevchenko was competing for the first time since she suffered her lone career defeat against Liz Carmouche in September 2010.

Luciana dos Passos Pereira (4-3) def. Paula Baack (0-1) via unanimous decision at Shooto Brazil 45 on Dec. 20 in Rio de Janeiro. Pereira has won three of her past four fights, with the lone defeat coming against current UFC fighter Jessica Andrade.

UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is probably the greatest female fighter on the planet, which is a tremendous feat. So why are we seemingly so obsessed with arguing about whether she could beat up men?